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Pre-Civil War U.S Mail Badge | Office Antiques565 of 746 |  |  |
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Posted 2 years ago
BioProfessor
(1 item)
I do a lot of metal detecting in around Charleston, SC. The artifacts run from Colonial, to Revolutionary War, War of 1812, Civil War, and so on. I got this item a while back and really don't know anything about it. It is engraved on the reverse side of an 1838 Seated Liberty Dime.
Anybody ever seen one of these? Who would have worn it and what would they be doing when they wore it?
Thanks!
Daryl Adams
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Postal AntiquesBefore email, cable news, telephones, or even the telegraph, the postal ser…
i dont know but its great i put in 25 years in the postal service hmmm maybe thats why im digruntled
This guy got a dime. LOL
Daryl
It's very interesting. I've seen coins from the first half of the 1800s carved often as what collectors call "love tokens", with intertwined initials, sometimes holed so one could wear it on a chain, watch fob, etc. Some soldiers during the Civil War carved US coins into what were essentially dogtags for themselves. I'd say this is also hand carved, but why on earth is says US Mail, I have no idea. It is a very cool object.
There's a great Flickr group for Postal History where some postal collectors hang out. They may have an idea: http://www.flickr.com/groups/postalhistory/
I'd also check in with the National Postal Museum: http://postalmuseum.si.edu/
Good luck, and report back!
Looks good.Would like to have it if I knew what it was all about.